Color E-Books at the iBookstore

The New York Times has said that Apple is now making a huge push for the illustrated e-books that they have available in their iBookstore.

The newest version of Apple’s iPad e-reader software, iBook 1.2, was released on Wednesday, December 15, and it introduced more than 100 new color e-books to the store. The Times reported that these new color books include children’s books, cookbooks, and photo books.

A few of the titles that have made the list include: chef Thomas Keller's cookbook, "Ad Hoc at Home," several books from the "Olivia" children's book series, and photographer Ansel Adams' collection of images called "In the National Parks."

With the announcement Apple seems to be focusing a lot on the addition of illustrated children’s books. The Times said that the company seemed very excited about it as well as many different publishers.

Jon Anderson, publisher from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, said that his publishing company has been "itching to do it since e-books became possible." Unfortunately, for a while there was a lack of color options for e-books, but now there are endless possibilities. "It finally gives us the opportunity to have our picture books join the e-book revolution," said Anderson in an interview. "It gives us great opportunity to monetize our content in a way that we previously haven't been able to."

Simon & Schuster are releasing some great titles that will be included with the new color e-books released at the iBookstore. Some of these titles include: Candace Fleming's "Tippy-Tippy-Tippy, Hide!", Elise Broach's "When Dinosaurs Came With Everything," and Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell's "And Tango Makes Three."

The Times said that, according to Anderson, at the start of 2011 color e-books will begin to be released at the same exact time as the print edition of the book. Right now, this is already what has been going on for text-only e-books and their print versions, but soon it will apply to all e-books.

Apple told the Times that there will be many other publishers producing color e-books for the iBookstore in the near future. Just a few of these include: Disney Publishing, HarperCollins, the Hachette Book Group, and MacMillan and Workman Publishing.

This newest development for the iPad may cause some more issues for Amazon’s Kindle. The Kindle is equipped with an E-ink screen, which means that it cannot handle color. Apple’s iPad has been the preferred e-book reader by the majority of customers up to this point anyway, but this latest color development could cause even more distance between the sales numbers of the iPad and Kindle.

Apple’s new developments will most likely put some pressure on Amazon, and it could possibly result in a new color e-reader from the company.

Amazon has sold millions of Kindles, probably due to the E-ink screen featured on the device. The E-ink, backlit LCD screen featured on the Kindle makes it easy to read things on the tablet even in the bright sunlight, unlike the iPad and the Nook Color e-readers. Despite this great feature on the Kindle, they will definitely need to quickly look into developing a color e-book reader if they want to keep up with the other e-book readers available.

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Mac App Store Opening December 13th?

One of the biggest things people love about the iPhone, iPad and even the iPad Touch is the fact that they can go online and add hundreds of thousands of apps to their device if they want to. By opening up the App store, they can add games, wallpapers, tools or just about anything you could imagine to their device with a touch of the screen.

Well, news has been cuirculating recently that Apple is going to open up its very own, personalized app store, and thanks to recent news from Appletell, we may be getting the store sooner than we expected, a lot sooner.

According to Appletell, an inside source has claimed that Apple is targeting a Monday, December 13th launch of their Mac App Store. Apple supposedly told developers for apps featured on the Mac App Store to have their products ready to go as soon as December 6th, but that doesn't seem likely.

As for Apple, the company has yet to make any official announcement about this early release of the Mac App Store, and there is always the threat of delays. However, there has seemed to be a push to get the app store out before Christmas, which is well ahead of the previously stated January release date.

According to Appletell, the push is coming from none other than Steve Jobs himself. It was reported that Jobs wanted to go sooner than December 6th, but that obviously didn't happen. Nevertheless, Apple does seem to be way ahead of schedule on the Mac App Store.

Trying to hit the rush is a good idea, but many people are wondering how a digital software system will work as a Christmas present. Gift cards for the Mac App store are said to be coming out with the launch, which will make an excellent last second gift.

It is still very unclear if Apple will hit their target of a December 13th release date, or if this is actually true at all. If it is, and the company does meet their deadline, then there are going to be a lot of happy Mac fans come this holiday season.

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Apple Mac Book Air 2010 Gets the Colorware Treatment

Do you smell that? It smells like fresh baked cookies and crazy packed shopping malls. That's right, it's the holidays again and many people will be scouring the stores for the best holiday gifts they can find for that special someone in their life. One of the most popular gifts many people will be asking for is none other than the Mac Book Air from Apple.

Now what many of you may already know is that the Mac Book Air is a great laptop, but it doesn't look that exciting. There isn't anything about it that makes it look any better than any other laptop out there.......until now. Thanks to Colorware, Mac Book aficionados can feel even more like an individual.

If you are looking to acquire a Mac Book Air 2010, it can be custom tailored to your specific color specifications. The only thing Colorware asks in return is a measly $1,850. Sure, many of you out there can make fun of the price and say how "expensive" it is but let's be honest, that isn't that much for a completely customized Mac Book Air 2010.

There is one, big resounding problem with this option from Colorware. Should you be one of the fortunate fancy pants out there who already owns a Mac Book Air 2010 you can not send it into Colorware to be refinished. You have to buy a completely brand new device from Colorware themselves. Customers have the option of buying the 11.6-inch model or the 13-inch model, whichever floats their boat. (Update - You can now send in your Macbook Air Design Studio for colorization.)

The devices that Colorware already has on display for their customizations are really cool-looking and to me it seems like they are really worth it. But then again the choice is up to you. However, they may make a great Christmas present.

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Apple Now Offering iPad Engravings

"I love you sweetheart." "Happy Anniversary Darling." Merry Christmas Mom." All of these sweet messages are perfect to put on a ring, picture frame or plaque for that special someone in your life. However, nothing shows how much these words truly mean unless they are engraved on the back of a fresh new iPad.

That's right, why not get your mom, child or significant other a gift that keeps on giving all year round and always reminds them of how much they mean to you? In line with rumors that surfaced this past summer, the good folks over at Apple have decided to include a free engraving with all new Apple iPad purchases. That's correct, free.

Apple product enthusiasts will be able to include two full lines of text to the top of the back panel of their iPad at no additional cost to them. However, the people at Apple have stated that having an engraving done on your iPad will incur an additional one to three days of shipping time to your order.

Not too long ago, rumors suggested that Apple wanted to offer the free engravings from the very beginning of the iPad launch. However, pre-orders and sales were too high and doing so would have delayed production. The engraving for the iPad works exactly the same way as the engravings for the iPod, allowing customers to add their personal engravings during the ordering process.

So why not give that special person in your life, whether it be a parent, sibling, grandparent or significant other, something really special, an iPad with a personal message expressing just exactly how you feel about them? This is a perfect gift for the upcoming holiday season, so be sure to place your order as soon as possible.

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Is the iPad Stealing Laptop Sales?

The iPad is a phenomenal technological device. It has been a huge success for Apple, but is this new gadget stealing all the laptop sales? Are consumers beginning to choose this ultraportable tablet over the much bulkier option of a laptop?

According to a survey conducted by NPD, Apple’s iPad is not having a particularly significant impact on the sales of laptops. The research group found that only 13 percent of those who purchased an iPad did so instead of buying a laptop. NPD also polled consumers who have bought these iPads and asked them if they had bought Apple’s tablet device in place of a dedicated eBook reader. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed said that they had.

When Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, first introduced Apple’s iPad in January, he said that the device was meant to be a “third screen.” What he meant by this was that the iPad was not supposed to be a replacement for a desktop computer or a laptop. The iPad was really meant to create a whole new branch of computer technology, the tablet branch. Apple was not trying to replace desktops or laptops. Their strategy was very different from that. They believed that consumers who were considering replacing or upgrading their old desktop computer or laptop might decide to put off that purchase and instead buy an iPad in its place.

The iPad is certainly a wildly successful device, but there are definitely some limitations to be found with the tablet. There are other tablet devices that companies are releasing in an attempt to add the “laptop aspects” that Apple omitted with their original iPad, but will that really allow these companies to compete with laptop sales? Apple is even planning to release a new and improved version of the iPad sometime soon, but will that really make a difference? I personally feel that the iPad and other tablets like it are incredibly fascinating devices. They are ultraportable and extremely convenient, but there are simply tasks that are much easier to do on a laptop instead of a tablet. No one is going to want to write a whole paper on a tablet. It would simply be too annoying to try to type on. Yes, there is a keyboard and stand that can be purchased for the iPad, but if you use a keyboard and a stand, doesn’t that defeat the purpose of being ultraportable?

I do not think that the laptop industry needs to feel threatened by tablets right now. Laptop sales are still fantastic, despite the various releases of new tablets. Consumers love the concept of tablets, but it certainly does not seem like they are viewing them as laptop replacements. Laptop producers have no reason to be worried. Despite their popularity, tablets will not be taking over their industry any time soon.

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Is There an iMac Touch in Apple’s Future?

Could the next iMac possibly come complete with a touch screen? It has been reported that Sintek Phototronics has been sending samples of its projected capacitive touch screens to Apple. This has led people to ask questions about the next version of the iMac.

The big issue with adding projected capacitive touch screens to the iMac devices concerns the size of the screens. It is very complex to create a projected capacitive touch screen that is larger than 20-inches. iMacs come in 21.5-inch and 27-inch versions. Despite the difficulty of the task, Sintek has a 5.3G plant, which is one of the largest production lines for these screens, so it should not be too hard for the company to figure out the kinks for Apple.

DigiTimes has reported that Apple’s touch screen version of the iMac would feature the touch sensor and cover glass in one single panel instead of the traditional way of placing the cover glass over the sensor. This cuts down on the thickness and weight of the panel.

About a month before this news about Apple’s possible touch screen iMac, it was revealed that Apple had filed for a European patent. This patent was discovered by Patently Apple, but it only described the possibility of switching back and forth between a touch screen mode.

Now all of this is rumor and speculation, but there are other Apple rumors in the past that have turned out to be true. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if this one is. It would be amazing to have a touch screen iMac made available by Apple. I think that it could definitely be a huge hit. Everything is moving in the touch screen direction, so it makes sense that the iMac goes touch capable as well. Hopefully Apple will give us some sort of statement regarding the rumors soon. Until then, we will all have to wait patiently and see if this development comes about.

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Macbook is the Laptop of Choice for College Students

It's that time of year again! Kids are packing up and heading off to college, and they are taking their laptops with them. According to a recent study by Student Monitor, a New Jersey-based research company, the laptop of choice for college students is Apple's Macbook.

The survey consisted of 1,200 college students from 100 different schools and 83% of those surveyed owned laptops. The most popular laptop, by far, was the Macbook. 27% of laptop-owning college students have one. 87% of the students surveyed said they plan to purchase a new laptop in the future and of those, a whopping 47% of those said they planned to purchase a Mac.

Dell laptops came in second place; 24% of the laptop-owners have one. (In 2005, Dell was the top computer brand for college students.) Hewlett-Packard laptops were third-most popular at 15% and Toshiba laptops came in fourth with 10%.

Microsoft has definitely taken notice of the laptop-owning college students' declining interest in Windows-based computers. This week, Microsoft added a new "PC vs Mac" section to its website. It talks about reasons why PCs are better than Macs, with everything from the ability to play Blu-ray discs to the ability to share Microsoft Office documents. Many of the reasons appear to be aimed at young adults.

According to the website, the top reason for choosing a PC over a Mac is "having fun." It goes on to talk about enjoying "movies, games, and HDTV from anywhere in your home," and says "PCs are ready to play." The website also says, "if most of the computers in your office or school run Windows, you may find it harder to get things done with a Mac," another obvious attempt to attract young people.

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New Details About the HP Slate

If you're a PC person and you've been thinking about making the switch to Apple because you just can't resist those neat little iPads, wait! Hewlett Packard is coming out with its own version of the tablet computer, called the "Slate." Last week, the computer maker released some details about the new computer. The Slate's screen is going to be smaller and have a lower resolution than the iPad but it has more features - from cameras to Adobe Flash Support.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer first mentioned the device at the January Consumer Electronics Show, but of course the constant talk of Apple's iPad drowned out any hype of what could become the device's biggest competitor. But how does it stack up against it?

For starters, the Slate features two cameras, the iPad does not. One works for things such as video conferencing and the other is a high-resolution, three megapixel camera for taking pictures. There's also the SD card reader that holds up to 128GB, a USB 2.0 port (iPad dosn't offer this), audio and HDMI out. And the slate runs on a 1.6 GHz Atom microprocessor compared to the one-GHz A4 on the iPad.

On the downside, the Slate's screen is smaller - 8.9 inches compared to the iPad's 9.7 inches - and the screen resolution is higher: 1024x600 to the iPad's 1024x768. However, the Slate can run higher-def videos 1080p (iPad only goes up to 720p).

The Slate will run an HP-developed touchscreen interface and Windows 7 Home Premium compared to the iPad, which runs the iPhone operating system. But many industry insiders are saying that the real appeal of the iPad isn't the device itself, but instead, the number of apps you can buy from Apple's app store (over 150,000) and with Apple's new deals in the publishing world, you can now or soon read a number magazines, best-selling books, and comics on the the device.

There's no word as to when the Slate will be released, but it looks like the 32GB model (with Wi-Fi) will sell for about $550 and the 64GB model (also with Wi-Fi) will sell for about $599. The entry-level iPad, which is 16GB (with Wi-Fi) sells for about $499. The 32GB model sells for $599 and the 64GB model sells for $699.

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New Keyboard Dock for the Apple iPad

There has been quite a bit of hype lately surrounding Apple’s new iPad. Its a very interesting creature. The greatest selling point is definitely it’s sleek appearance. The shiny, brushed aluminum backed gadget is almost elegant looking. One of the reasons for this attractiveness is the absence of a keyboard. The problem with being keyboard-less is that many people will not be able (or maybe not want) to huddle over the device to punch on the on-screen keys for an extended period of time. Even when you set the iPad on a table or desk, there is still an annoying wobble that you must deal with due to the it’s slightly bowed back. Well, for iPad users who miss the traditional keyboard that comes with laptops and desktop computers, Apple has released a solution. There is now a iPad Keyboard Dock that provides you with the comfort of a keyboard while also holding your iPad upright for easy visibility. Those who couldn’t part with their keyboard can now feel completely at home with their new iPad.

The keyboard dock is very conveniently designed. It is small (0.5 x 11 x 4.5 inches HWD) and wireless. It is constructed with a brushed aluminum shell that features 77 fully separated, shallow keys that make typing on the iPad a breeze. The dock has a raised back that allows the keyboard to be slightly angled forward for ease and comfort. At the back of the keyboard, there is a power connector and a Line Out that lets you easily hook up speakers for the iPad. You’ll need a 10-watt power adapter to be able to utilize the dock, but this is included when you purchase the iPad. With that adapter, there is also a detachable USB cable that is included as well. This allows you to connect the keyboard directly to your computer so that you can sync the two devices. You are also able to use a few other accessories with the Keyboard Dock including the iPad Camera Connection Kit and the iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter. Another advantage to having the Keyboard Dock is that if you have the iPad docked, the keyboard will charge your device.

If you don’t want to deal with the annoyance of attempting to type for long periods of time on the iPad then the Keyboard Dock is just what you are looking for. It will make you feel right at ease with typing anything. It will be available in late April and will be listed for $69.


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Do You Really Need an Apple Tablet?

If you visit any tech websites regularly, you probably know Apple is getting ready to unveil its new iTablet computer. Rumors and speculation about the computer's details have been going on for weeks, especially lately. Most people are anxiously awaiting to get their hands on the device. After all, it is Apple and everything that comes from the company is darn near perfect, right? Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you know how Apple fans are.

Turns out not everyone is excited about tablet. ABC reporter David Francois has come up with a list of reasons as to why you shouldn't rush right out and get one when the time comes. For starters, the iTablet will have a short battery life. If you have an iPhone or a current slim MacBook, you know exactly what to expect when it comes to the battery. This means keeping the device that is supposed to be ultra-portable plugged in more often than not.

If you can get past the battery life, you may not be able to get past the lack of comfort. You can't hold it in your hand like an iPhone and you can't rest it in your lap like a laptop. You can't adjust the screen - it IS the screen - and it doesn't have a rubberized back. Also, tablets have surprisingly been around for about 20 years but as you might have noticed, they haven't exactly caught on. Sure, the technology is better this year than it was in say, 1995, but you dont hear people talking about how much they want to run out and get a tablet.

So, you don't care about comfort, battery life, or popularity? Fine, but why do you even need the device? You've already got your laptop, netbook, and cell phone. The tablet won't do anything those things don't already do. Maybe it will end up with some tablet-specific apps but in the long-run, unless you're just a gadget-freak, what purpose will it serve to have one? Make that a gadget-freak with a big budget. Rumor has it the tablet is going to have a 3G data connection that's definitely going to cost you.

Personally, I'd say wait until the device comes out before you decide whether or not to buy one. Apple didn't get where they are by making brainless moves and who knows what they have in store, but so far, the tablet isn't winning me over.

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Apple to Unveil New Tablet

In an effort to dominate yet another aspect of technology, Apple has revealed that it will be producing a new tablet later this year. The new tablet, said to be competitive with netbooks and e-readers, will likely retail for anywhere from $600 - $1,000. While the hand-held device won't be revealed until later this month, people are already anticipating it and making all kinds of speculation, all over the internet. Rumor has it, the tablet will be on the market, sometime in March.

As devices that can both surf the web and play movies and music become more popular, the tablet may be coming at a very good time. According to BusinessWeek.com, the tablet would be a competition for both e-readers such as Amazon's Kindle and netbooks from companies such as Acer and Hewlett Packard.

According to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray & Co, Apple could see 1.4 million of the devices by the end of 2010, increasing company sales by two percent or more, depending on the finalized price of the product. "Apple's tablet would compete well in the netbook category, even though it would not be a netbook," said Munster, who expects software to be one of the keys to making the Apple tablet stand out against the competition.

Another bit of speculation is that the new tablet will be app-friendly, meaning it will work with the over 100,000 apps available for iPhone. Kathryn Huberty, an analyst with Morgan Stanley, says she expects the tablet to be ten inches with touchscreen and built-in Wi-fi. She also expects the product to take e-books and magazines a step further by making them an interactive experience that will provide users with links to videos such as author interviews, photos, audio, websites and advertising.

Maynard Um of UBS AG suspects the new tablet could be like an oversized iPod touch...or like a scaled-down notebook computer. It has been said that Apple expects to ship 10 million tablets within the first year of release. Former Google executive Lee Kai-fu says he's spoken with someone familiar with the product and that it will look like an oversized iPhone with its 10.1 inch multitouch screen with three-dimensional graphics.

But the truth of the matter is, no one knows for sure. A spokesperson for Apple says the company will not comment on speculation and rumors. Luckily we won't have to wait too much longer to find out just what Apple has in store for the world of handheld devices. Steve Jobs is set to reveal the tablet later this month.

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Redesigning the New MacBook Air

No one knows exactly how Apple will redesign the new MacBook Air, but there are many speculations. The best way to decide what may be different about the new MacBook is to look at the laptops competition and see where it might be able to improve.

Now the design is something that is going to be difficult to improve. The first design was so good that Apple didn’t change it for its second generation. The aluminum enclosure of the Air set a trend that all MacBook Pros and many other PC makers soon followed.

The razor-thin Air does provide very little room for ports and connectors, so this is definitely an aspect that could be improved upon. Apple came up with the solution to have a flip-out set of USB ports, MiniDisplayPort, and audio ports that retract back into the body of the laptop. The Dell Adamo features a design modification that places all the ports at the back of the laptop behind the screen, allowing a much fuller array of connection ports. Hewlett-Packard went a different direction with their Envy 13. They made it slightly thicker (0.8 inches) than the Air which allows for a couple more connectors. This gives Apple several different options to allow for more connectors on the newly developed Air.

It is also rumored that Apple is going to try to make the new MacBook Air even lighter than the previous model while maintaining its famed sturdiness. To accomplish this, Apple could use something like a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber. HP utilized magnesium as the base of the Envy to make it lighter, so this could also be a consideration for the Air.

It also possible that Apple could make a bigger, smaller, or tablet version of the Air. The tablet version could potentially mean a new enclosure and new silicon.

Great graphic chips are something that are difficult to squeeze into an ultrathin design like the Air. The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD sets the MacBook Air from many of the other slimmer designed laptops. Apple introduced Nvidia 9400M graphics silicon to the world with the second generation Air. This offered acceptable graphics, certainly much better than the original MacBook Air. Nvidia is getting ready to release their Ion 2 graphics, but no one is sure how clear they may be. If this is a successful venture for Nvidia, I am sure that the new MacBook Air designers will be very interested.

There is also the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics chip which Advanced Micro Devices boasts as being a “thin and light mobile graphics processor…delivering unprecedented performance-per-watt…while watching Blu-ray movies. This is a chip that has found its way into an HP ultrathin laptop, so this could quite possibly be a consideration for the Air as well.

All of these are merely speculations of what Apple might possibly improve in the new MacBook Air that they are currently developing. Although the Air defined what many laptops are today, there is plenty of room for improvement. It will be quite interesting to see what Apple will do with the newest version of their MacBook Air.

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Unibody MacBook Gets Educational Price Drop

When the polycarbonate, unibody MacBook was first released by Apple, many people were turned away from it. It wasn't that the laptop itself was horrible, despite a few shortcomings. The problem many people had with it was that device itself didn't seem to warrant a $999 price tag. Well good news, for some of you out there, has just been seen on Apple's website. The unibody MacBook has just seen a price drop to $728. But there is a catch. The $728 price is only available to students and educators and for a limited time only.

The MacBook is a good laptop all around. It comes with a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2GB of DDR3 memory and a 250GB hard drive. Along with that you get 8x double-layer SuperDrive, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics card and a built-in battery with an expected 7hr life.

Students and educators should take advantage of this deal as soon as possible because there is no word on when the sale will end and if you are looking at getting a MacBook you have no time to waste. Looking at Apple's website it appears you also get free shipping as well, another great deal to take advantage of as long as it lasts.

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